The Gryffindor mystery
by Linneagb
Summary: AU. The boy with the Gryffindor printed clothes came into the cheesecake factory several times a week, and seemed to glance both to me and the man with brown hair and glasses. If only I had had the time to find out who he actually was before he seemed to fall off the face of the earth...
1. Hello

**So... I've had this idea in my head for a while but I wanted to start my other big bang theory first. Anyway, I've made polyvore edits with both random things for 'the gryffindor mystery' and with a group of a family. But I can't tell you what edit is for them since that would spoil the story. Anyway, if you'd like to check out my polyvore the links on profiles aren't working but pm me and I'll find a way for you to find it. So, over to the story.**

 **And English is not my first language, this is told from Penny's pov.**

 **Oh, and this will hold some brief spoilers for the Harry Potter books and movies.**

In the works of cleaning the bar table at my job at the cheesecake factory I glanced over the restaurant and noticed a group of friends I had noticed came here every Tuesday for dinner. And always ordered the same food, even though I could never remembered what because while I walked over to them and scribbled down their orders one of the four men caught my eye and I couldn't keep my heart from beating so hard it was as if it was beating right out of my chest.

There were four men, one tall, skinny one who seemed rather callous and very, very picky with orders. One shorter with brown hair who always pulled creepy jokes, one Indian guy who whispered his orders into the creepy guy's ear and let him say them. And at last the one who made my heart beat, shortest of them all with brown hair and glasses with thick bows. As soon as he was looking into my eyes I was certain my heart would stop it would beat so hard.

Looking further over the restaurant I spotted a younger male, perhaps in his late teens somewhere sitting by the bar desk. He used to come here a few times a week or so, order a portion of grilled shrimp and bacon club sandwich with French fries, some Fanta that he poured into a thermos mug with a print of the Gryffindor lion on.

Speaking about the Gryffindor lion, he always wore a Bobbie hat with a Gryffindor lion, as well as a backpack with Gryffindor lions and even a phone case that I could see the Gryffindor colors and lion on when he had it lying back up on the desk. And as always, he had taken about two bites of his food, and now sat with a drawing pad and some pencils and with quick moves was sketching over the paper.

"Hello" in boredom when there was nothing to do for the moment I started talking to the boy. "What are you drawing?" The boy just looked up at me, smiled a bit mischievous and looked down on his paper continuing to sketch. "Not much of a talker, are you?" The boy shrugged, but I felt a weird connection with the boy, and wasn't giving up so easily. "So… are you a Gryffindor?" Finally the boy looked up at me again and shrugged slightly. "I take it you are since you have so much with the Gryffindor colors and lion on." He shrugged again. "Oh you're really aren't anything of a talker!"

"I am actually, just a bit tired so you'll have to excuse that. And I don't usually share what it is that I'm sketching. And I'm not going to make an exception. But when they're done you can see them." He ripped a paper out of his pad, put it in a blue, white and green, flower- patterned file folder and lifted up his backpack onto the desk to put it in.

"I can see you like Harry Potter? So… Are you a Gryffindor?" As the boy closed his backpack again I could catch a glance of a collection of Harry Potter books. "Geez man, do you carry around the Harry Potter books, of all books? How many of the books have you even got in there?" The boy smiled again and counted them.

"Five. And yes, I do like Harry Potter, unfortunately I just wish I was a Gryffindor. It's totally the best Hogwarts house. But I think I'd be a Hufflepuff because I'm such a loser." He laughed slightly. "So I take it you like Harry Potter too?!" I nodded and sat down on the opposite side off the bar desk from him. "So what house would you be in?"

"Slytherin, totally."

"Oh, you're a snake." The boy laughed again. I couldn't help but laugh too because he just had one of those laughs as if he didn't have a care in the whole world. And for a second he scratched the back of his head before he spoke again.

Not until then I realized how much the boy was wearing, he was wearing a knitted V- neck shirt over a flannel button up, and over that an opened zippered hoodie. He was also wearing sweatpants but I could spot some lining of a pair of jeans between the V neck shirt and the sweatpants, and on top of that a thick Bobbie hat. It all made it look like he should be sweating to death today. But he didn't seem to care. And just as I laid my hand down on the counter my hand touched his, not much. But enough to feel the temperature.

"My God." If I had ever had some motherly instincts they kicked right in at that moment and I took his hand in both of mine. "You're freezing. How are you freezing?" The boy just smiled and pulled away his hand and along with his other hand he pushed them into his hoodie's pockets.

"My hands are always cold. Don't worry about it. When I say always I mean always and it doesn't bother me at all." He pulled one of his hands up again and fingered with one of the pencils that still laid on the desk. "No, as I said. I'm probably a Hufflepuff only because I'm such a loser. But I kind of wish I was a Gryffindor anyway. That might have helped me during… some times."

He had gotten a bit of a distant look in his eyes, as if he remembered something that was hard to think about. Several times before I had noticed the boy was very pale, but now he seemed to go even paler, until he looked kind of greenish and unwell and I looked around for a bowl or some paper when he suddenly threw his pencils down into his bag before he grabbed it and threw it over his shoulder. And I noticed the move was weak, and kind of shaky before he spoke in a bit of a hoarse and troubled voice.

"I'm not feeling too well. I think I'd better head home." He pressed his lips hard together and started rushing towards the door. And he really looked like he was going to get sick and I prayed to God he wouldn't get sick in the store.

"I'M PENNY BY THE WAY."

I shouted after him, but right after he opened the door and disappeared. I hurried after, to see if he was okay. But when I came out onto the pavement he was nowhere to be seen. I sighed, then shrugged. He was probably going to come back tomorrow or some other day, he had to come back didn't he? Well if he would. Then the first thing I do would be to have to ask for his name. How rude of me not to take it now.

But the boy didn't come the next day, neither did he the next, or the next. And when a month had passed, with me coming into work every day, even when I had a day off to meet him, only to realize that he wasn't there that day either. At last I gave up hope about ever seeing him again. But still I couldn't forget about him. And I wanted to tell him things. That I still hadn't been able to talk to that boy… and yeah that was about it!

But I wanted to know who he was as well. Where he came from, and what he liked. What he didn't like and how he had ended up being at the cheesecake factory to eat so many times and then had seemed to fall off the face of the earth. I wanted to know what he had been drawing and what couples he shipped. I wanted to know about his family, his dreams and fears. Anything about who he was.

It wasn't that I was in love or anything. I just felt the weirdest of connections to the boy who had been sitting at the second stool from the right at the bar desk. And that connection made me crazy, since I couldn't for my life figure out who he was. No one else at my job had talked to him or even remembered who he was, it was like he had been a ghost. A spirit only I could see and talk to. Whose only thing to do was to make sure that I ended up with the brown- haired boy with glasses. Even though I hadn't talked to that guy yet. But I knew for certain that if it wasn't for that strange Gryffindor boy I probably would never have gotten around to even believe that I ever would be able to do it at all.

And every time I heard the door to the restaurant open and close I expected to see his Bobbie hat and quirky smile. But it never was. And for every time I looked down again, it reminded me of how much of a mystery this boy was- a Gryffindor mystery.

And I guessed he would just stay the Gryffindor mystery forever.

 **So, that's it for a first chapter. I hope you liked it. And I hope you're looking forward to see who this mystery Gryffindor is. And just to say it. I do not think Hufflepuff's are losers- I'm a Hufflepuff myself. But it was mostly because that line just seemed t suit. So well, see you next time.**

 **Random fact**

You have no idea how many times I was on my way to accidentally put the boy's name in the story. I didn't want it to come out until in the next and probably last chapter. But since I know and love his name, I really almost put it in thus chapter.


	2. Sacha

**So. Here we are with the last chapter. But first I'd like to say a few words.**

 **As some of you may or may not know 2015 have been a really rough year for me. Now when there's only a couple of things left I look back on everything that happened and can't believe I got through everything.**

 **But I did get through everything. But certainly not on my own. During these times I have learnt who will be there and who to keep close. I will be forever grateful for each and every one who has been there. But as you also may know, people aren't it all…**

 **Fanfiction has always been there for me and so have all of you. Even if it was just a short review or a favorite mark or another follower you have all helped me to stand up yet another day. Taken yet another step and I just wanted to take this last A/N for this story to tell you how grateful I am.**

 **So to you, yes, you who's reading this. Thank you, from the very bottom of my heart. Thank you.**

 **Okay, and here's the second and last part.**

I stopped worrying about the Gryffindor boy as much as I could. But still it was like something in my mind would push the thoughts and wondering about him back into my brain because still I wouldn't stop thinking about him. Even if it was less and less for every day.

"Excuse me." Standing to clean off the bar one Tuesday afternoon I heard a girl's voice over my head and looked up. "Are you Penny?" I nodded and looked to the girl, and the gang she had with her. The girl looked as if she was about fifteen and there was one boy who looked to be a bit older and then a number of younger ones- the younger sat on the oldest one's hip and they all looked kind of sad, the second smallest and the oldest girl both had tears in their eyes.

"Yes?"

"My name is James- James McLaine." The girl said and I nodded, girl named James? Hm! "This is my older brother Peyton, our little sister Ryan, then our younger brothers Hayley, Leslie and Aubrey." I nodded- kind of fascinated by the unisex names. She had went from the oldest to the youngest and Aubrey was just leaning his head against Peyton's shoulder. "I think you knew my brother… Sacha?"

"I…" I hesitated. "…Don't think I know a Sacha." James pulled up her phone and showed me a picture. "Oh! The Gryffindor mystery!"

"Is that what you call him?" James put her phone down into her pocket with a frown in her forehead. "Oh well… I can see your point." Her frown went into a slight smile as she shook her own purple- plaid backpack off and opened it. "Ehrm… Well, his name was Sacha. And he really liked drawing, drawing people especially. And…" She pulled up a twist folder I had seen him have. "He would like you to have this."

 _To my friend Penny._

 _Don't think I didn't notice the looks you gave that brown- haired guy with glasses._

 _-Sacha McLaine_

"What is this?" It was barely more than a whisper rising from my throat. "I barely knew the guy… why me?"

"I don't know…" James said and bit her lip for a split second. "I don't think I could call Sach anything else than what you did. I know what you mean by Gryffindor and… he was as much of a mystery to me and us that he must have been to you who barely even knew him… But he was also the bravest and brightest person I've ever known so I think you should open it. I'm sure he meant something with whatever is in that one."

I tried to take in what James had told me but my mind didn't seem to work fast enough but to get any more of that one word that seemed so weird and wrong… He couldn't be… could he?

"Was?"

"…Ehrm… Well…" James hesitated and her voice was shivering. "Sacha had leukemia… long story short. When he was diagnosed it was already too late, he refused to get treatment. He loved the food here and for the first time in his life didn't give a damn about if what or how much he ate would make him loose or gain weight or if it was healthy enough for whatever. And… mum and dad were just nagging him to get treatment and all of that and then… he wasn't home much. And then… he wanted to be an artist and… he told me… Jamie, I've always wanted to make a difference. It's going to be short of time to do it now… But I bet my drawings will drastically change somebody's life and I… I believed him…. And then he died… about three days after he had been here the last time."

When James finished I felt a lump in my throat and tears burning behind my eyes. But I still couldn't quite get why- I had only talked to the Gryff… Sacha once. I had barely known him whatsoever but suddenly I had to fight not to cry while I with shaky fingers opened the twist folder and was left stunned by what I found.

At the very top lied a drawing, not much more than a sketch but there wasn't a doubt of what it was off. There I was- as the waitress, in my ugly cheesecake factory dress and there was that gang who came here every Thursday night and there was that guy looking straight up at me- the one with the brown hair and the glasses and even drawn with a pencil looking at him made my heart beat as if it was going to beat right out of my chest.

The second drawing was of us two too, and the third, and the fourth and all of the thirteen drawings in the twist folder were of us two, or just me, or just the guy. And honestly I wasn't so sure what it meant… But James seemed to have read my thoughts.

"Sacha meant a great deal to me, to all of us. And he could mean a great deal to your future I just know it. And if he did draw these things than I'm two hundred percent sure that you at least go and talk to him. And he's sitting right over there with his friends. And no waitress have been there so maybe it's meant to be."

James had nodded to something behind me and when I turned my head I could see the guy with the brown hair and the glasses and when I looked back to the McLaine's Aubrey had started clapping his hands into a rhythm- although I was pretty sure he wasn't old enough to understand what was going on.

"Go Penny." Peyton cheered quietly to Aubrey's rhythm. "Go Penny." Leslie and Hayley went along and I shushed when I saw people turning around and looking. "Go Penny." Now all of them had joined and if they went any louder this would be very awkward for me. So there wasn't much else for me…

"Okay, okay." I showed them to be quiet. "I will…" I turned around and looked to the guy who didn't seem to have noticed the cheering. "…For Sacha… Sacha the mystery!" I looked back at James, who nodded excitedly at me and then back to the guy. Knowing that if I didn't they'd start cheering again I walked slowly down the aisle and forcing myself not to hesitate stopped by the table of the guy and his friends.

"Hi I'm Penny."

"Hi I'm…"

"Finally, waitress. I'd like to order…" The brown- haired guy that made my heart beat was interrupted by his taller friend.

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Excuse me!" The tall one sounded upset and still not wanting to I turned towards him. "Wasn't talking to me? We have been waiting for three minutes and twenty seconds and I am hungry and I need to order… now please!" I didn't mind him and turned towards the man with the brown hair and the glasses about two seconds before he answered. Thankfully without the tall one interrupting this time.

"Hi I'm Leonard."

…

"Alexander Hofstadter. Please stay by my side."

I sat right by the edge of a steep cliff. On the other side was a road that we had walked up on and in front of me only ocean deep. In my hands I held the same blue, green and white twist folder as before. And it still had those drawings of me and Leonard made of Sacha. But it had been worn- out during all of the years- ten, fifteen. Who cares how many? And at last I had decided what to do.

As the wind blew through my blonde hair making it fly behind me I was woken up from my thoughts and ran a hand over the front of the folder that still held the note to me written by a young life that was taken so much too early. And I grabbed the twists and opened it to face the first drawing where I stood by the bar with my head turned. And that and the other drawings was all I needed to know that in the moment he had sketched it I had been dreamily looking towards the man who now was my husband and the father of my seven years old child.

When I turned and looked back I could see Leonard holding onto our son's hand tightly. And I couldn't blame him for that as just a second ago Alexander had been dancing enough to if he would stumble he could have gone right over the age and down the cliff. Down into the waves that was hitting towards the meeting stonewall.

I slowly pulled up the first drawing of the twist folder and slowly reached my hand holding it into the air. Now when I was here there wasn't a single cell in my body that wanted to do this. But at last I and Leonard had talked and decided this was for the best. We had done everything we could and would ever be able to for the young man that had brought us together. And what mattered was us two and the little family we had- those drawings didn't mean anything, not after all of this time.

Although they did, and that was why we had chosen each favorite. Both I and Leonard which we had put in the bottom of the lower dresser drawer in the bedroom. While the rest couldn't mean anything else than what it already had and we had decided to drop them. Together we first thought, but wanting to bring our son too. Leonard stayed behind to keep him from running, and I- who was the only one who had ever talked to Sacha for real. Sat on the ground right by the edge and then slowly dropped the first drawing.

And it followed the wind and blew straight back above the ground towards Leonard, Alexander and the road that had taken us here.

"Well…" I hesitated looking at the sheet of paper dancing in the wind. "I guess it's not meant to be yet." Leonard seemed troll bound looking at the paper but I saw him nodding slightly. But then Alexander letting go of Leonard's hand to chase after it.

"Sacha." I called him with his nickname- the reason we had chosen the full name we had to be able to name him after the young man who brought us together. "Stay there by your dad's side. This cliff is really, really steep and we do not want you to fall over. There are steep parts in that direction too. So just stay there and I'll be right back. Okay?"

"Okay mummy."

I smiled at my Sacha and while turning back towards the edge and the ocean I smiled to myself while pictures of the other Sacha and I had had our first and only conversation filled up my head. And while I could remember the whole conversation. There was that one line that actually shouldn't have meant anything that had just gotten stuck.

 _I do like Harry Potter, unfortunately I just wish I was a Gryffindor. It's totally the best Hogwarts house. But I think I'd be a Hufflepuff because I'm such a loser._

I whispered the quote under my breath. But someone must have heard because just as I had the wind grew stronger. I shivered and crouched in my thin shirt. But just as I was on my way to stand up and leave it was almost as I could see Sacha smiling at me from wherever she was. And I could almost hear him agreeing with what he had said right then

"Don't even try it young man… You were nothing but a real Gryffindor."

 **So, there it is. That's the end.**

 **Sacha McLaine is portrayed by Chris Colfer (with glasses) Then from oldest to youngest it's Peyton by Joe Maw. James by Abigail Breslin (2010) Ryan by Kia Pegg, Hayley by Jake Brennan, Leslie by Jake Vaughn and at last Aubrey by Logan Moreau (as of the last season of good luck Charlie. Cutest thing I've ever seen!). And little Sacha/ Alexander is portrayed by Oaklee Pendergast.**

 **Random fact**

Actually, when I came up with the storyline that Sacha would die before the story was over it was just there without any planning whatsoever. The idea was just there and my Gosh I hated it so badly! But no matter how I kept on twisting and turning I didn't seem to come up with another ending and honestly… I'm kind of happy with the way it turned out. I hope you guys liked it too.


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